Container with improved liner construction



Nov. 29, 1966 J. N. KRAUSE CONTAINER WITPi IMPROVED LINER CONSTRUCTION Filed April 1966 FIGZ INVENTOR. JAMES NORMAN KRAUSE QZMM W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,288,341 CONTAINER WITH IMPROVED LINER CONSTRUCTION James N. Krause, Louisville, Ky., assignor t0 Anaconda Aluminum Company, a corporation of Montana Filed Apr. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 540,627 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-45) This invention relates to wound containers having a substantially rigid non-metallic body with a foil surface on the inside thereof and closure members secured to either end of the tubular body. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel interior seam construction in containers of the above type wherein an elongated tape whose opposite elongated marginal side portions are folded back against itself is secured to the inner surface of the container body, directly over the liner scam, in order to provide a corrosion resistant seal.

It is desirable in packaging operations to avoid the use of metallic cans as often as possible because of their high cost. Although some substitutes for metallic cans have been successful, for example, the container disclosed in my US. Patent No. 3,156,401, other composite containers have been limited by an inability to withstand attack from within by contents of a corrosive nature. Protective coatings have been applied to the interior foil surface in an effort to inhibit corrosion but this has not been effective since contents having a very high or very low pH still attack the bare edges of the foil seam and cause a rapid deterioration of the moisture-proof seal. The improved container of the invention has particularly proved to be satisfactory as a replacement for metallic cans in packaging corrosive products and, its effectiveness is primarily the result of its unique interior seam sealing construction.

The container of the present invention comprises a substantially rigid tubular body member having closure caps secured to either end. The body member has at least one body ply wound into tubular form and a liner ply similarly wound and adhesively secured to the body ply. The liner ply defines the interior surface of the body member; its adjacent edges are in substantial abutting relationship to form a butt seam on the interior surface of the body member. An elongated tape is secured to the interior surface of the body member in a position over the butt seam. The opposite elongated marginal side por tions of the tape are folded back so that the outsides of the folds define the respective elongated marginal edges. The tape is secured to the liner in such a manner that the folded back marginal portions are contiguous to the interior surface of the body member.

As noted above, the present container has particularly desirable advantages when used for packaging contents of a corrosive nature. Earlier containers of this general class were subject to chemical attack in the area of the liner seam. Attempts have been made to coat the vulnerable metallic liner for purposes of protection but it was found impossible to coat the bare edges of the liner. As a result, corrosive contents quickly destroy the inner seal, rendering the container useless for its express purpose. The present invention provides an effective and economical solution by employing an elongated aluminum foil or aluminum foil and paper laminate tape to protect the liner seal. After the tape has been protectively coated, the elongated marginal side portions of the tape are folded under so that the outsides of the folds define the respective elongated edges. The tape is then secured to the liner directly over the liner seam in such a manner that both the exposed edges of the seam and the exposed edges of the tape are protected leaving only the coated edges of the tape exposed to the corrosive contents.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a convolutely wound container the inside seam of which is defined by a straight line;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a helically wound container the inside seam of which is non-linear;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the container with the upper closure cap removed; and

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged cross section of the novel seam sealing construction of the container.

A description of the construction of a container 10 of the type contemplated by the present invention is best achieved by setting forth steps of assembly. Initially, a suitable strip of liner 11 and a strip of tape 15 are wound together, either convolutely, as shown in FIG. 1, or helically, as shown in FIG. 2, about a mandrel (not shown) in a manner well known in the art. The liner strip 11 which consists of aluminum foil or aluminum foil and paper laminate has a protective coating already applied to its inner metallic foil surface to inhibit chemical attack. The protective coating may be a nitrocellulose lacquer, an epoxy, a vinyl, or any other coating suitable for the purpose. As the liner strip 11 is Wound on the mandrel, an adhesive is applied to its outer, uncoated surface, with adjacent elongated edges of the strip abutting to form a continuous butt seam 12 for the entire length of the inside surface of the container.

The tape 15, positioned over the liner seam 12 on the inside surface of the liner 11 of the container 10, may be of any suitable material which is impervious to moisture penetration; but metallic foil, particularly aluminum foil or aluminum foil paper laminate is preferred because of its dead fold characteristics. Generally, tape ranging in thickness from about 0.0035 inch to 0.0015 inch has been found most satisfactory. The metallic foil surface of the tape 15 is first coated with a protective compound substantially similar to that used on the liner 11. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, as shown best in FIG. 4, the tape 15 is specially folded before being adhered to the liner 11 directly above seam 12. The opposite elongated marginal side portions of the tape are folded under so that the exposed metal edges are in abutting relationship and define a tape seam 16; the coated, folded edges 17 and 18 now define the margins of the tape. The tape 15 is sealed to the liner with its folded under surface 20 contiguous to liner 11 directly over liner seam 12 and the coated metallic foil surface 19 exposed to the contents of the container. The tape 15 may be sealed to the liner 11 by a heat scalable coating on the folded under surface of the tape, by a heat sensitive adhesive, or by a hot melt (waxes and resins blended to give the desired heat seal characteristics).

Finally, a strip of body stock 13 is wound either convolutely or helically directly over the liner 11 and adhered thereto. At least one ply of body stock 13 is employed but any number of plies may be used as required. The plies of body stock 13 may be made from chip board or solid kraft board, or any other suitable material. The thicknesses of each ply of body stock ranges in typical cases from 0.0095 inch to 0.026 inch. The plies of body stock are secured together by animal glue, casein-latex emulsion, vinyl-copolymer emulsion, sodium silicate, or any other desired adhesive. As shown in FIG. 3, the adjacent elongated edges of the body ply strip form a continuous seam 14; usually, the body seam 14 does not coincide with the liner seam 12. An outer or label ply of foil may be formed over the body plies by conventional methods to define the outer surface of the container but such does not comprise any part of the present invention and is not illustrated or described herein.

The fabrication of a container of the type contemplated is completed upon the addition of upper and lower closure members 21 and 22 at the appropriate time.

It is contemplated by the present invention that the container may be used for handling contents of a corrosive nature but it is suitable for contents of all classes.

I claim:

1. In a container of the type having a tubular body member of rigid composite construction, a top closure member, and a bottom closure member, the improvement in combination therewith comprising (A) at least one body ply wound into tubular form,

(B) a liner ply wound into tubular form and adhesively secured to the body ply to define the interior surface of the body member with its adjacent edges in substantial abutting relationship to define a butt seam therebetween, and

(C) an elongated tape secured to the interior surface of the body member in a position over the butt seam having its opposite elongated marginal side portions folded back against itself so that the elongated edges of the tape are defined by the outsides of the folds and the folded back marginal portions are contiguous to the interior surface of the body member.

2. A container as in claim 1 wherein the edges of the folded back portions of the elongated tape are in substantial abutting relationship to define a tape seam.

3. A container as in claim 2 wherein the inner metallic foil liner surface is coated.

4. A container as in claim 3 wherein the metallic foil tape surface is coated before the opposite elongated side portions of the tape are folded back such that the exposed metallic foil surface of the tape and the opposite elongated edges of the tape defined by the outsides of the folds are completely coated.

5. A container as in claim 4 wherein the tape is of aluminum foil.

6. A container as in claim 4 wherein the tape is of aluminum foil and paper laminate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,146,930 9/1964 Elam 2294.5 3,147,902 9/1964 Miller 2294.5 3,156,401 11/1964 Krause 2294.5 3,157,336 11/1964 Elam 229-45 3,159,515 12/1964 Dunlap 229-45 X r GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CONTAINER OF THE TYPE HAVING A TUBULAR BODY MEMBER OF RIGID COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION, A TOP CLOSURE MEMBER, AND A BOTTOM CLOSURE MEMBER, THE IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINATION THEREWITH COMPRISING (A) AT LEAST ONE BODY PLY WOUND INTO TUBULAR FORM, (B) A LINER PLY WOUND INTO TUBULAR FORM AND ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE BODY PLY ATO DEFINE THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE BODY MEMBER WITH ITS ADJACENT EDGES IN SUBSTANTIAL ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP TO DEFINE A BUTT SEAM THEREBETWEEN, AND (C) AN ELONGATED TAPE SECURED TO THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE BODY MEMBER IN A POSITION OVER THE BUTT SEAM HAVING ITS OPPOSITE ELONGATED MARGINAL SIDE PORTIONS FOLDED BACK AGAINST ITSELF SO THAT THE ELONGATED EDGES OF THE TAPE ARE DEFINED BY THE OUTSIDES OF THE FOLDS AND THE FOLDED BACK MARGINAL PORTIONS ARE CONTIGUOUS TO THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE BODY MEMBER. 